Medical Exercise Case Study....Can You Manage This Client?

Case Study Friday

Medical exercise training is managing medical conditions using ONLY exercise. It's not just giving a client with a medical condition(s) an exercise program. As a medical exercise and medical fitness professional are you simply giving the client exercise or are you developing, managing, assessing, and progressing the client based on your assessment? Medical exercise training management is about the client intake, assessment, forms, exercise program, progression, reassessment, documentation, and communication. 

Our case study client is Mrs. Jacobs. She is 79 y.o. and underwent a left hip replacement via anterior approach 4 months ago. She can use a walker independently and climb stairs independently. She has a history of knee arthroscopy, hypertension, high cholesterol, and congestive heart failure. She becomes SOB after 20 minutes of standing due to fatigue. She has follow-up appointments with an orthopedist in 10 days and her cardiologist at the end of the month.

How would you manage this client? Please outline what you will ask the client during the initial discussion. Also, what forms and/or procedures you will use at the first visit? Also, note the medical exercise assessment procedures you will follow. How will you identify and measure functional deficits? Based on your assessment, how do you formulate your short and long-term goals?

Outline your exercise program for weeks 1, 4, and 7. Please include precautions and contraindications. Also, note progressions. Please include when you re-assess the client and how you will document and communicate the progressions to the client's medical professionals.

We present case studies such as this in our MES Masters program which is part of our MedXPRO Network. As medical exercise professionals, we need to share our experiences with the most challenging clients, so we can establish best practices and guidelines for our profession. Go to www.MESMasters.com to join the Masters training. 

Look out for our next Case Study Friday. Please contact me @ [email protected] with your solutions to this case study or let me know if you have a case study to share.